A switch facilitates direct communication between network devices, connected to the switch's ports, by interconnecting the ports through a switch fabric. The switch fabric may include three stages: an ingress stage, an egress stage, and a center stage. Each stage may include one or more crossbar switches, hereinafter referred to as crossbars. Information may enter the switch fabric via an ingress stage crossbar, and may be routed, via one or more center stage crossbars, to an appropriate egress stage crossbar.